Refrigerator



J. SAUBER.

REIFRIGERATOR.'

(-No Model.)

Unirse Smarts Partnr Ottica,

JOHN SAUBER, OF ORRVILLE, OHIO.

REFRlGER/TOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 309,496, dated December 16, 1884:.

Application filed September 18,1884. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN SAURER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Orrville, in the county of Tayne and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Refrigerators, of which the following is a specication, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to improvements in refrigerators, and is designed, objectively, to produce a refrigerating device for preserving meats or other perishable articles, in which a comparatively large space is had for wholesale purposes and the like, and a smaller space for retail purposes and for articles of small bulk. A further object is to produce a regulated circulation of air of low temperature, commonly designated cold77 air, also, to obviate all dead accumulations of comparatively warm air at any point; to arrange the ice chest or box so as to economize the ice to the greatest extent, and to so arrange that part of the device that is most often opened-viz., the portion containing the articles of small bulk-such as butter, fruits, and small nieats as to introduce the least possible amount of the exterior or warm air into the refrigerator, and so raise7 the temperature therein.

In describing the device and its operation reference is had to the annexed drawings, in which Figure l represents a longitudinal vertical section through the device Fig. 2, a cross-section taken through Fig. l, and Fig.

a detailsection through the hood.

The walls consist, preferably, of an outer casing, A, a wall, .Ii/between which and the said outer casing is a lining of felt, a framework of suitable construction, and aninterior casing, C, between which and the wall B is the dead-air77 chamber, which forms' one of the best and cheapest non-conductors of heat. The entire interior of the said dead-air chamber may be lined with felt, if desired. The casing C is constructed of any hard woodwsuch as maple or ash--it being the best for the purpose, as no moisture will collect on it, said moisture being one of the most common causes of meat and such articles putrefying or spoiling. Vithn the said dead-air chamber, but

having no connection with it, are several fines, D, opening into the interior of the refrigera tor at the top, as shown at E, and near the bottom, as shown at F,lwhere the opening is surrounded by a hood, H. A slide or valve, I, is arranged above the said hood and passes through a slot'in the top thereof, whereby the opening F may be varied in size or entirely closed at pleasure. A bracket, K, retains the slide on the casing O. If so desired, the hood may be formed integral with the lower portion of the slide and move with it. An ice-chest, L, divides the refrigerator into a large or wholesale compartment, M, which is entered by a door, N, and a small or retail compartment, O, which may be entered by a door, l?. The ice-chest is raised somewhat from the floor of the refrigerator and properlyT supported, leaving a passage, It, connecting the two chambers. The ice-chest has solid walls, the passages for the escape of cold air being at or very near the bottom, as shown at S. By this means the ice is kept from contact with the air from the two chambers or conipartments, (the usual mode being to forni the sides of the chest of slats,) and a better circulation established than would otherwise be possible from natural causes.

To prevent direct contact of the contents of the compartments and the ice-chest, a series of slats, T, are provided, and to catch the drippings from the ice a pan, U, preferably of papier-mach, with an escape-pipe of the same material, is placed within the said icechest. Over the ice-chest, within the refrigerator, and hung from cr secured t-o the roof or ceiling thereof, is a hood, V, made, preferably, ot' papierunache, with slantiu g sides and a central perforated extension, C from which an air-escape pipe, X, (of papier-mach,) coni-A inunicates with the exterior, or, in common terms, with the outer air. The edges of the hood may be strengthened by a wire, Y, and approach the edges of the iceechest, but do not quite touch them, for the purpose set forth hereinafter. In the compartment O are hinged shelves Z, arranged one above the other, so as to be normally contained therein, but moving independent one of the other. They consist eaehof an outer glass'paneled wall, A', flush with the outside of the refrigerator, a solid panel, B', at right angles to the other, and a perforated bottom, O, with a rounded ICO edge forming the quarter of a circle. die is provided for convenience. When the shelf isl swung around so as to be exterior to the chamber or compartment O, the rounded part is kept continually engaged with the edge of the wall,which arrangement, beside steadying the shelf in operation, gives the largest possible retaining space. Vhen entirely opened,77 the panel Bf, which projects a little beyond the shelf C', completely closes the openingin the wall and prevents the introduction of warm air or the escape of cold air.

rlhe use of several separate shelves instead of a connected series possesses a vital advantage in reducing to a minimum the possibility of any change in the condition of the air in the refrigerator, which change must occur to a greater or less extent when a door or similar device is opened or shut. rIhe shelves are hinged rat the angle, as shown. Ice having been introduced into ice-chamber through the door D, the cooled air will escape through the openings S and fall to the bottom, then passing into the openings F, being directed in ameasure by the hoods, and up the fines, escapin g at the openings E, and onto the spreaders It', which diffuse it over the chambers. The air having become somewhat heated in its passage is forced by the continued circulation ofthe colder air to the hood and through the perforations therein, and then downward through the ice, and again out the openings S. There will be more or less condensation on the hood, (except when papier-mache is usech) so the sides thereof' do not quite touch the edges of the ice-chest, the water of condensation passing through the space and down ythe inside of the said sides of the chest. This is preferable to having it trickle down through the mass of ice, as the water would impart some of its heat to the said ice and melt it, while in passing down the sides of the ieeehest the ice is seldom touched thereby, as the said ice only comes in contact with the said sides at its edges, except in isolated instances. All the cold air does not pass up the flues, but is slowly diffused through the two chambers, and, in conjunction with theeurrents caused by the said flues, thoroughly cools the entire box, experiment having shown that the teinperature can be maintained at but a few degrees above the freezing-point.

Vhen papier-mache is used, instead of nietal, for the hood, drip-pan, and other parts, the condensation or "sweat thereon is completely obviated.

A refrigerator constructed of hard wood, and the parts usually constructed of metal being made of papier-mache or paper-pulp, will be completelydry within, no moisture, condensed, being diseoverable, and therefore perishable articles will keep for an indefinite time.

To eheapen the construction, a softwood lining or easing, C, may be used with a papierniache surface, which will absolutely prevent condensation on the walls of the refrigerator.

A han- I Also, any scent lfrom the said wood will not enter the chambers or compartments.

Having described my invention, what I claim is 1. In a refrigerator provided with non-conducting walls, one or more fines contained within the said walls and communicating with the interior of the said refrigerator at the top and bottoni, the upper opening being provided with a spreader or diffuser, -substantially as and for the purpose specified.

2. In a refrigerator, one or more air-conducting flues communicatingwith the interior of the said refrigerator at top and bottom, the lower opening being provided with avalve or slide for regulating the size of the said opening, substantially as and for the purpose specied.

3. In a refrigerator, one or more air conducting flues communicating with the interior thereof at top and bottom, the upper' opening being provided with a spreader, and the lower opening with a hood and a regulating valve or slide.

hood having slanting sides, the edges of whichl are strengthened and do not quite touch the walls of the ice-chest, and a perforated eXtension on top, said extension being provided vwith an escape-pipe.

6. The combination, in a refrigerator, with an ice chest having solid Walls and cold air openings at or near the bottoni thereof only, of a hood hung over the same, said hood having slanting sides and a perforated extension on top, from which projects an escape-pipe.

7. In a refrigerator, a series of coincident quadranial shelves hinged at the angle and operating independently one of the other, each shelf' having a panel that closes the space when the shelf or shelves are opened out.

S. In a refrigerator, a series of coincident qnadrantal shelves hinged at the angle, Aeach shelf having a glasspaneled front, a perforated bottom, andra solid back or panel at right angles to the front.

9. As an article of manufacture, a refrigerator with non-conducting walls, flues opening into the interior of the said refrigerator at the top, where a spreader is provided, and at the bottom, where a valve and hood are provided, an ice-box with openings at or near the bottom only, a hood over the same, said hood having slanting sides and a perforated top, and also having an escape-pipe and a series of coincident quadrantal shelves, with glasspaneled front, solid back, and perforated bottom, the said refrigerator being provided with doors, and arranged substantially a-s and for the purpose specified.

l0. A refrigerator having an ice-chest,wth

IOO

IIO

13. In a refrigerator, the combination,witl1 15 the ice-chest thereof, of a drip-pan construct ed of papiermaoh or paperpulp, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

14. In a refrigerator, the combination, with the ice-chest, of a hood for the saure, con struoted of papier-mache or paper-pulp, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

'In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

JOHN SAURER.

Witnesses:

H. M. WILSON, C. D. SWAN. 

